Easy and Thrifty Baby Shower and Birthday Party Decorating Ideas

Hello! My name is Allison and I’m the one woman show (though my hubz has been helping out a lot lately and deserves credit 🙂 ) behind a little Etsy shop called hoop~da~loop. You can find it at hoopdaloop.etsy.com. I specialize in unique shower and party decorations, especially the custom kind and today wanted to talk to you about some easy ways to decorate for a baby shower, birthday party or other such event on the cheap! I know that many of you are mommas-to-be, current mommas, or at least know a momma and because of that, attend lots of baby showers and birthday parties for little ones. With hoop~da~loop, I find that most of my customers are moms or friends of moms looking for party decorations that don’t cost an arm and a leg, but add a pop of whimsical fun and color and thus, I’ve done lots of research on some great ways to decorate.

A couple of tips for you on decorating for your next party:

1) Try as much DIY as possible! You may not think you are crafty, but find a good tutorial on the internet (and there are lots!) and you can make decorations for little of nothing really easily. Two of my favorite resources, pinterest.com (just search ideas for party decorations and you get about a million) and Oh Happy Day! (ohhappyday.com), a blog full of tons of ideas (some easy, some harder) that add tons of unique décor to your next event.

2) Look for “printables.” I am new to the “printables” world, but I am amazed at the number of free and extremely cute banners, invitations, cupcake toppers, favor boxes, etc that you can print off of the internet for free. Just buy some cardstock and grab your scissors (decorative edged scissors will make it easier to make a festive and fun border and can be found at your local craft store for $3 or less) and start printing. Printables are an easy internet search away or check out blogs like Oh Happy Day! (http://ohhappyday.com/category/free-printables/) for some great ones! When searching online, try using keywords like “printable baby shower invitations” or “printable birthday party decorations.” You will be amazed at the choices!

3) Less is more! I love parties that are simple and fun. I think it’s very false that you need to spend a big hunk of money to make a party special. Decorations don’t need to be a big fuss or costly to create a great atmosphere. To save, try using or reusing what you already own and then think about how you can make a few decorations go a long way! For example, use white tablecloths (that you probably already own), solid bold color napkins and paper plates, and grab a hole punch and some construction or scrapbook paper and punch other bold color confetti to sprinkle in the middle of the tables. So cute and so simple! You can even add some balloons or garland you can find in my shop if you want. Creating a white background allows your decorations to really pop.

4) If all of this DIY sounds a little too time consuming, check out etsy.com. There are lots of artists that are more than willing to create custom work for you, sometimes for no extra charge (like in hoopdaloop.etsy.com). Because almost everything is handmade, you can send us your invitations or inspiration pictures so we can create the perfect party, invitations and all!

5) Or even better! Win a party pack from hoopdaloop.etsy.com! Enter below for a chance to win 3 ten foot garlands and two packs of confetti in your custom colors! It’s a great excuse to throw a party or decorate your little one’s room even if you weren’t planning on it 🙂

Don’t forget to reuse your decorations if possible! Lots of my customers will buy garlands for a party and then hang them up in a baby’s nursery or kids room or even in the background of a photo shoot for their kiddos. All great ways to keep saving and create whimsical one-of-a-kind decorations and photos!

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Grab your beverage of choice (mine is iced coffee) and let's hang out for a spell! I'm Tiffany, and I've rambunctious little girls and a fierce desire to share any tip and trick I can find to make lives with little ones a bit less hectic and a lot more fun. [Read more...]